How To Reset a Car Alarm
From time to time, you may have to reset your car alarm. The battery might be dead in the remote, the remote could have been lost or you may have had to purchase a new one. Resetting a car alarm is usually a pretty simple process. There are a few different ways you might have to try, but generally at least one will work for you.
- Insert your key in the driver's side door lock. Turn the key to lock the door twice, turn the key to the open position twice. This will usually turn the alarm off and reset it. If this does not work, move on to try the next step.
- Place the key in the ignition; turn the ignition to the “on” position. Stop right before it would crank and then to the off position. Then do it a second time. One of these two processes will usually work for all alarms.
- Once the alarm is off, you may need to replace your alarm remote batteries. Dead batteries are the usual reason why the remote will not turn off the alarm. Once new batteries are installed, most remotes will automatically sync themselves to work with the alarm on their own.
- If your keys have been misplaced and your alarm is going off, disconnect the negative battery cable. Your alarm may have a battery backup that will keep it going for a few minutes, but after that it will stop and be quiet. Once you find your keys, reconnect the cable and follow step 1.
- Disconnect the speaker wire, which is under the hood. This is an alternative to stop the noise if you do not want to disconnect the battery. The flashing lights will continue, but the noise will stop after the wire is disconnected.
- If you have had to purchase a new alarm, you will have to check the owner's manual for how to reset the remote. Most often, this is done by pressing buttons in a certain sequence. However, the sequences can be different for different makes and models of cars. The owner's manual will let you know the correct sequence for your car.